[Auto] 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo

[-Sn!PeR-]

 

• F8 pays tribute to Ferrari V8s
• 3.9-liter V8 makes 710 horsepower
• 0-62 mph acceleration of 2.9 seconds
• Priced from $293,480

 

 

Officially, Ferrari’s new-for-2020 F8 Tributo pays tribute to all Maranello’s V8s of the last 20 years. Said lineage, claims Ferrari, extends all the way from the original 308 and its F106 AB 237-horsepower 2.9-liter to the 3.9-liter F154 V8 and everything in between.

Now, never mind that the 308 is probably best remembered for transporting hairy-chested Magnum PI around Hawaii than for its scintillating power output. Or that the 355’s optional single-clutch automatic was perhaps the crankiest automotive transmission of the last 50 years. Despite this occasional wonkiness, Ferrari V8s have garnered no less than four Engine of the Year awards from the prestigious Engine Technology International magazine with the 488’s twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter having been recently voted the finest example of internal combustion of the last two decades by the same organization. In other words, Ferrari’s V8 — especially its first foray into a turbocharged mid-engine supercar — is worthy of tribute.

 

Replaces the Ferrari 488

 

Nonetheless, the 488, which is a great car without truly glaring fault, didn’t tug at the heartstrings quite as much as a Ferrari should. Ferociously fast, wonderfully balanced and surprisingly comfortable, it lacked drama, the engine note subdued, the powerband a little too linear and the handling, well, a little too balanced. It reminded me of a McLaren built in Maranello. Oh, with 660-horsepower, the performance was there, but, somehow, the pizzazz was missing.

The F8, on the other hand, is much more theatrical. The twin-turbo V8 — and remember, turbochargers tend to put a real damper on exhaust tone — is now, thanks to some way-trick headers made of F1-spec Inconel, much more musical. There’s also 50 extra horses underfoot, all of it pumped out 6,500 rpm. And the F8 is about 90 pounds lighter than the 488 it replaces, the combination of reduced avoirdupois and 710 horsepower rendering a zero to 62 mph time of a 918-challenging 2.9 seconds and just 4.9 seconds more to reach 125 mph. It’s louder, lighter and insouciant enough that it feels (almost) like the return of the 458, albeit with a lot more urge.

 

Improved handling

 

The most dramatic change, however, is in the handling. Or, more accurately, the steering. Where the 488 GTB was all benign balance — again, cue comparisons to the McLaren of your choice — the Tributo’s steering feels much sharper than the 488’s. Turn in, no matter how tight the Italian switchback is tight, the front end — now cue comparisons to the glorious 458 — sticking to a line like a 600-cc superbike. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get the front to understeer. That might have something to do with the tenaciousness of Italian tarmac or the tail-wagging nature of Ferrari’s Fiorano test track turns, but the F8’s front end stuck firmly to the pavement.

According to Ferrari, the F8’s hardware is little changed, the chassis, the basic suspension components and even the rear differential virtually unaltered. Ferrari says it makes much smaller steering wheel for a more direct feeling, but claims most of the difference in feel due to tuning changes to the suspension, steering boost and, especially, the electronic rear diff. Torque vectoring between the rear two wheels has an enormous effect on steering precision at the front, hence why Ferrari’s R & D department gives much of the credit for the sharper steering to revised programming of the e-diff. Whatever the case, if the F8’s improvement is all down to tweaking of suspension and the electronic diff’s computer controlled, where was this calibration engineer four years ago when the 488 was tamed into innocuous McLaren?

 

Comfortable cabin

 

For those that care about such pedestrian attributes from their Ferrari, the F8’s interior is quite roomy with generous legroom and space to tilt the seat back. Said seat is incredibly comfortable considering how seriously Ferrari take the tightness of side bolstering. And the F8’s navigation system is the first Ferrari map that hasn’t got me more lost than my own incredibly bad sense of direction.

Nonetheless, what will get the tifosi out of their 488s and maybe even get a few to trade in their 458s, is that the bedlam is back. And, while it will be that much-acclaimed engine, now more powerful and soulful, that gets the immediate accolades, the chassis changes are the real reason to get excited about the new Tributo.

 

How much does the 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo cost?

 

The 2020 F8 will be in Ferrari dealerships in December of this year starting at $293,480.